Hurricane Oscar is on track to hit Cuba this Sunday, exacerbating the island’s ongoing power crisis, which raises concerns about the storm’s heightened dangers.

Oscar, currently classified as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph, has already moved past the Southeastern Bahamas, as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Forecasters at the NHC predict that the hurricane will weaken and make a quick reversal, returning towards the Bahamas early next week.

Through Tuesday, Cuba is projected to get between 5 and 10 inches of rainfall, with some regions potentially experiencing as much as 15 inches, according to the NHC.

In addition, the NHC is monitoring tropical depression Nadine, which is anticipated to bring significant rainfall to southern Mexico.

Concerns About a ‘Humanitarian Crisis’

On Sunday morning, the southeastern Bahamas is bracing for a perilous storm surge, primarily affecting Great Inagua Island, followed by the northern coast of Cuba, as per the NHC’s predictions.

There are worries that Oscar might escalate to a Category 2 hurricane.

Jon Porter, Chief Meteorologist for AccuWeather, commented on the situation, stressing, “Heavy rains in the steep terrain of southeastern Cuba raise severe concerns regarding flash floods, mudslides, and rockslides. These issues, compounded by the intensity of Oscar, could lead to a humanitarian crisis in parts of southeast Cuba.”

Cuba’s existing power crisis amplifies concerns over the storm’s potential impact.

After the national power grid failed twice in a single day, the Cuban government managed to restore electricity to 20% of the 10 million residents by Saturday.

Porter stated the grave implications of hurricane impacts in Cuba, given the persistent power grid crisis. “The combination of a hurricane strike and a failing power infrastructure may severely worsen the situation, putting lives at risk and complicating preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.”

According to Reuters, the power outage began on Friday afternoon when the largest power plant shut down, causing a collapse in the nation’s electrical grid, which further failed again on Saturday morning.

Authorities reported some progress in restoring power, but the grid experienced another collapse on Saturday evening.

Tropical Depression Nadine

The NHC is also keeping an eye on a tropical depression likely to deliver heavy rain to southern Mexico.

As of Sunday morning, there are no current watches or warnings active due to Nadine. It is expected to dissipate later on the same day.